We could use another Home Alone with Kevin McCallister. Macaulay Culkin recently stated in an interview with Variety that he’d love to return for a Home Alone sequel. It certainly would be satisfying to see Culkin in another Home Alone movie rather than a Home Alone-style advertisement.
This got us thinking: what other Christmas movies could use a legacy sequel? We don’t mean a sequel in name only, as we’ve already had too many Home Alone sequels with no continuation of Kevin McCallister. For a legacy sequel, we want to see the old crew back together for the holidays, either to pass the torch or keep the flames burning. These are the legacy sequels that made our Christmas movie wishlist.
10
‘Last Holiday’ (2006)
Queen Latifah brought some real charm to the holiday season with the 2006 remake of Last Holiday. She played a woman in sales who decides to treat herself when diagnosed with a terminal illness, during the Christmas season, no less. While taking off for a luxury European vacation, she ends up falling in love with LL Cool J, playing the co-worker she’s had a crush on for the longest time.
As the film ended with Queen Latifah and LL Cool J opening their own restaurant, there are immediate ways a legacy sequel could continue the story. Managing a restaurant is no easy task, and love can fade amid the tricky business. Finding another miracle and some love on Christmas would make for a solid legacy sequel. We’ll be honest with you, though: we really just want to see Queen Latifah take center stage again.
9
‘The Family Stone’
The Family Stone is a familiar yet enduring Christmas setting of a family gathering. The Stone family has assembled for a Christmas in New England, with the promise of a marriage proposal. But the festivities are complicated as emotional battle lines are drawn in many awkward conversations.
A reunion with the Stone family would be an easy sell, given the all-star ensemble of Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Luke Wilson. We’ve unfortunately lost Diane Keaton, but dealing with that loss could be a heartwarming motivator for family togetherness. There’s some allure in seeing how the views of these folks have evolved, given that gay marriage was a topic at the Stone dinner table.
8
‘Love Actually’
Love Actually is like opening a romantic box of chocolates for Christmas. As an anthology film, it tells several romantic stories around the holiday, featuring an all-star cast. From Bill Nighy as a rock legend to Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister, there are several ways this charming picture wields Christmas-themed heart and heartbreak.
With multiple stories, Love Actually could return as a legacy sequel, featuring old and new characters. There’s a fascination to see where all these characters ended up, but it’d be interesting to see some new tales of holiday love for the next generation. Director Richard Curtis made a family-style Christmas anthology with That Christmas, but it’s not the same (even if it does reference Love Actually). We could use more English-flavored Christmas romances featuring fresh, familiar faces.
7
‘The Ice Harvest’ (2005)
For those who prefer some neo-noir with their Noël, The Ice Harvest is the dark crime comedy that hits that holiday sweet spot. Set during Christmas in Wichita Falls, mob attorney Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) is in for a wild night with his dangerous pal, Vic (Billy Bob Thornton). An awkward Christmas dinner with his divorced family is the least of his problems. He’ll have to deal with gruesome murders, vindictive gangsters, and his drunk friend (Oliver Platt), who is currently married to his ex-wife.
While there weren’t many characters left alive at the end, it would be fun for Cusack and Platt to return for another odd evening. Having them contend with another batch of unruly criminals amid the darkness of Christmas holds much promise. More noir-style writing for a Christmas caper would be a real treat for the holidays, offering some comforting cynicism to counter the saccharine sweetness.
6
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994)
Miracle on 34th Street posed the unique question: what if Santa Claus were real and brought to court? It might not sound like the most charming of Christmas movies, but hey, it worked in 1947 and again in the 1994 remake. It also helps that Santa was portrayed by the warm Richard Attenborough, who befriended the adorable Mara Wilson in the film.
While another remake of Miracle on 34th Street could still be cute, it’d be more exciting to see how a world with a Santa Claus continues. Richard Attenborough might not be with us anymore, but Mara Wilson could continue believing in Santa Claus. She wouldn’t have to try too hard to convince another generation to believe in the bearded toy-giver. It’s hard to deny that existence when it was previously proven in the courtroom, but she might have to contend with some fake news.
5
‘Elf’ (2003)
Will Ferrell was at his sugar-plum sweetest in the innocently absurd comedy Elf. As a human raised by Santa’s elf collective, Buddy ventures from the whimsical North Pole to the cynical streets of New York City. As he finds his birth father, the elf-raised human spreads Christmas cheer through his own amusing holiday traditions, including festive decorations, sugar-filled feasts, and snowball fights.
With hilarious lines and endless charm, Elf has become as classic a Christmas movie as the Rankin-Bass specials it additionally parodied. There have been many attempts to replicate the movie’s success in stage musicals and cartoons. However, there’s no substitute for the real comedic force of the original. We need to see Ferrell back in those tights, even if they don’t fit as well as they used to.
4
‘Krampus’ (2015)
An American family expecting Santa Claus ended up with Krampus, whom we’ve covered in several movies. The European folklore figure doesn’t come bearing gifts, but punishment for a dysfunctional family. As the family endures a snowstorm, they’ll find themselves pitted against Krampus and his demonic forces of man-eating toys and killer gingerbread men.
Krampus was akin to Gremlins in how it found the fun in the monster that drags the naughty to hell. There are plenty of wicked avenues to pursue for the next film, especially with the child protagonist, Emjay Anthony, now grown up. Having him attempt to warn a new generation about Krampus would make for a delightful dose of Christmas horror-comedy.
3
‘The Holiday’ (2006)
Christmas abroad has never been more romantic than in The Holiday. Who wouldn’t want to be in Cameron Diaz’s position, taking off to a cute English town to fall in love with a handsome Jude Law? On the other side of the pond, Kate Winslet finds herself falling for Jack Black at his most charming.
Heartbreaking and heartfelt, it’s always soothing to return to The Holiday. It’d be fascinating to see where these characters end up years later, given how they all met up at the end of the 2006 film. A legacy sequel would be the perfect reunion for these warm and welcoming characters, for all the drama and romance it might bring.
2
‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’
Santa Claus has never appeared more absurd and feral than he did in Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. A small town in Finland becomes a strange and dangerous place, marked by missing children, murdered reindeer, and a mysterious mountain-drilling operation. The area only gets stranger when the residents discover the tomb of the most monstrous version of Santa.
As a Finnish cult film, Rare Exports has plenty of potential for tinkering with Christmas lore. Given that the story involves capturing and enslaving elves, the same darkly comedic formula could apply to other holiday figures as well. It’d be hilarious to see how the same Lapland locals would handle a ferocious Frosty or wild Rudolph.
1
‘Trading Places’
Trading Places infuses the classic story of The Prince and the Pauper with a Christmas-themed dose of 1980s greed. Dan Aykroyd played an upper-class commodities broker who swaps places with a down-on-his-luck guy played by Eddie Murphy. The two are used as pawns in a betting game between the wealthy Duke brothers, leading to a clash around Christmas. Nothing quite says a New York Christmas like Aykroyd playing a drunken Santa on a subway.
A return to Trading Places would be timely for centering on the ever-present topic of class divide. The cast is also primed for a second movie. Eddie Murphy has recently returned to his roles in Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop. Dan Aykroyd has appeared in the two previous Ghostbusters pictures as veteran Ghostbuster Ray.
There’s a higher chance of seeing Trading Places return, as Dan Aykroyd has stated he’s working on the script. The Duke brothers were also briefly mentioned in the Coming to America legacy sequel, so there’s already something to build from. We may just get this Christmas wish after all.
